NBC confirms 'Heroes' axe

The series, created by Tim Kring, was a breakout hit in its first season, averaging 14.3 million viewers. During its sophomore season - cut down to just 11 episodes by the writers' strike - the show was criticized for its elaborate and drawn-out plots, and the ratings began to drop off slightly, averaging 13.1 million across the season.

During the third season, the audience declined significantly to an average of just 9.3 million, and by the time the fourth - and ultimately final - season had wrapped, the viewership had dipped as low as 3.9 million.